1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a device for permitting an outside caller to reach any of several extension telephones within a home or office.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many homes or offices have a number of extension telephones, all of which share one or more telephone numbers. Each extension telephone is capable of making an outgoing call, and an incoming call may typically be received by any of the extension telephones.
In order to connect an incoming caller to the extension telephone desired, a human operator is typically required. In the conventional system, all incoming calls are answered by a central operator who then rings the extension requested by the caller. In another known system, an incoming call rings on all of the extension telephones, and if any extension is answered, the person answering may then ring the desired extension for the caller.
It would be advantageous for a caller to be able to select an extension telephone without the intervention of a human operator. It would furthermore be advantageous to provide a simple device which could be connected to a conventional extension telephone to permit an incoming caller to select that extension telephone to receive his call.